Rep. Andy Levin Statement on Secretary Acosta

July 10, 2019

Press Release

Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), vice chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, today released the following statement:

“I am deeply alarmed by the role Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta played when he was U.S. Attorney in allowing Jeffrey Epstein to avoid serious and appropriate consequences for the horrifying child sex trafficking he engaged in over a period of years.

“Multiple prosecutors from a variety of backgrounds have pointed out how far from the norm the deal Acosta gave Epstein was. Simply stated, non-prosecution agreements are almost never offered for the kinds of crimes Epstein was alleged to have committed, for the seriousness of his case, for the breadth of his wrongdoing, and for the strength of the evidence available. Victims should never be left in the dark as they were by Mr. Acosta. What seems clear is not only that he got away with raping children, but that his non-prosecution let him continue his crimes after his white glove ‘punishment.’

“Mr. Acosta not only failed miserably in his duties in this case, but he has continued to fail to comprehend the seriousness of sex and other human trafficking as Secretary of Labor. Incredibly, Mr. Acosta proposed cutting the relevant portion of the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) by 79% in the 2020 budget, virtually eliminating his department’s efforts to combat human trafficking around the world.

“President Trump must remove Mr. Acosta from his position immediately. A person with this record of disregard for the rights and dignity of girls and trafficked persons has no place leading the department charged with protecting America’s working people.”